1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing apparatuses for setting peripheral devices for performing predetermined processing through a network, to peripheral devices, to device processing methods, and to storage media.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a network infrastructure has been developed, network image processing apparatuses, such as network printers, scanners, and copy machines, have rapidly become widely used. Technology for searching a network for a device for offering various services over the network has been developed. One example of such technology proposed by Microsoft is referred to as Universal Plug and Play (hereinafter referred to as “UPnP”).
When using a network peripheral device, such as a network printer, it is necessary to install beforehand, on a client (such as a personal computer) for using the printer, a corresponding driver, which has been registered and controlled in a database by an operating system (such as Windows (registered trademark)) running on the client. Alternatively, driver software (driver) can be provided by a printer vendor through a recording medium, such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory). Subsequently, it is necessary to detect information (such as an IP address, printer port, print protocol to be used, and device driver) which is assigned to the peripheral device and which is used for operating the peripheral device, namely, the printer. The peripheral device may be transferred to another network, or a new peripheral device may be added to the network. The device configuration indicating devices connected to the network system changes constantly. In order to manage peripheral devices on the network, technology for detecting information for the peripheral devices and for managing the peripheral devices has been developed. A known management system, such as UPnP 1.0, is a specification designed to provide technology for interconnecting a peripheral device and a computer, however, this technology only defines a protocol and data format for enabling devices to communicate with each other.
Even when information managed by the management system, such as UPnP, is used, the peripheral device on the network can be used only by performing a complicated setting during an installation of a control program, such as a device driver, for controlling the peripheral device into the computer.
Microsoft's OS is supplied with a Plug and Play (hereinafter referred to as PnP) installer for receiving and recognizing a device number from a locally-connected peripheral device through a USB (Universal Serial Bus) and for automatically installing a device driver. PnP installation is limited to locally-connected devices. No technology has been developed for expanding the PnP technology to network devices.
When a plurality of management methods for managing network peripheral devices concurrently exists on the network, a management system compliant with a specific management method cannot recognize a peripheral device which is on the network and which is not compliant with the specific management method.